Fifa ‘okays’ Nick Mwendwa’s comeback at FKF
Fifa appears to have endorsed the return of embattled Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa to management.
Mwendwa was, on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, present when FKF officials met their Fifa counterparts at the Safari Park in Nairobi. The officials had earlier met Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
Fifa’s delegation is on a two-day fact-finding mission on the state of football following the country’s year-long ban from international engagements.
The entourage is led by Fifa Director Member Association Africa Gelson Fernandes, who is also a former footballer.
Others are Noda Nodar Akhalkatsi, Director Strategic Projects and MA Governance, Solomon Mudege, Head of Development Programs, Alessandro Gramalgia Strategic Development Manager and Sarah Solemale, Senior MA Governance Manager.
Photos released by FKF show Mwendwa attending the meetings with Fifa alongside his colleagues including FKF Deputy President Doris Petra, who’s been acting as president for the past 16 months.
Other FKF officials present were Chief Executive Barry Otieno and Nairobi NEC member Micheal Ouma.
Tuesday was Mwendwa’s first public football engagement since November 2021, when he was barred by the High Court in Nairobi from engaging in football matters.
Earlier, former Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded FKF, alleging corruption and abuse of office.
Mwendwa was then arrested and prosecuted for economic crimes in Nairobi but the charges were dropped owing to a lack of evidence.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) maintains he wishes to charge Mwendwa afresh leading to further legal battles.
In November 2022, Namwamba reinstated FKF’s executive committee but announced Mwendwa will step aside from management pending the determination of his court battles.
“Mwendwa has acknowledged that he has a court case that needs to be resolved. In the meantime, a team led by Barry and Doris will roll football in the country,” said Namwamba at the time.
Mwendwa was elected FKF president in 2016 for a four-year term and led Harambee Stars to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in what is regarded as his main achievement. He was re-elected for a four-year term in 2020 before allegations of high-handedness, corruption and poor performance by the national teams led to a fallout with the government in 2021.
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